Recombinant viruses encoding the human melanoma-associated antigen

Abstract

Peptides or proteins related to a melanoma associated antigen are described. These are produced in large quantities via recombinant DNA techniques and/or by chemical synthetic methods. The peptides or proteins can be used as immunogens in vaccine formulations which can induce an immune response that selectively destroys melanoma cells in a vaccinated individual. Where the peptides or proteins are expressed by a recombinant virus, inactivated or live virus vaccine formulations may be prepared.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A recombinant virus, the genome of which comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a melanoma-associated p97 antigen or an antigenic portion thereof, which is under the control of a second nucleotide sequence that regulates gene expression so that a melanoma associated p97 antigen, or an antigenic portion thereof, is expressed in a host infected with the virus. 
     
     
       2. A recombinant virus the genome of which comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a melanoma-associated p97 antigen, or an antigenic portion thereof, which comprises the nucleotide sequence substantially as depicted in FIG. 3 or any portion thereof encoding an antigenic peptide or protein, and which is under the control of a second nucleotide sequence that regulates gene expression so that a melanoma-associated p97 antigen, or an antigenic portion thereof, is expressed in a host infected with the virus. 
     
     
       3. The virus according to claim 1 or 2 comprising an enveloped virus. 
     
     
       4. The virus according to claim 3 comprising a vaccinia virus. 
     
     
       5. The virus according to claim 1 or 2 comprising a naked virus. 
     
     
       6. The virus according to claim 5 comprising an adenovirus. 
     
     
       7. The virus according to claim 1 or 2 comprising a baculovirus. 
     
     
       8. The virus according to claim 7 comprising a nuclear polyhedrosis virus. 
     
     
       9. The virus according to claim 1 or 2 comprising a bacteriophage. 
     
     
       10. The virus according to claim 9 comprising a lambda phage. 
     
     
       11. A live virus immunogenic formulation comprising the recombinant virus of claim 1 or 2 in which the virus is infectious without causing disease in a host to be immunized. 
     
     
       12. The live virus immunogenic formulation of claim 11 in which the recombinant virus comprises an enveloped virus. 
     
     
       13. The live virus immunogenic formulation of claim 12 in which the enveloped virus comprises a vaccinia virus. 
     
     
       14. The live virus immunogenic formulation of claim 11 in which the recombinant virus comprise a naked virus. 
     
     
       15. The live virus immunogenic formulation of claim 14 in which the naked virus comprises an adenovirus. 
     
     
       16. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 1 or 2 in a non-infections state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       17. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 3 in a non-infections state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       18. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 4 in a non-infections state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       19. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 5 in a non-infections state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       20. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 6 in a non-infections state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       21. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 7 in a non-infectious state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       22. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 8 in a non-infections state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       23. An inactivated virus immunogenic formulation comprising an effective dose of the recombinant virus of claim 9 in a non-infections state mixed with a pharmaceutical carrier. 
     
     
       24. A recombinant DNA vector comprising p97b. 
     
     
       25. A unicellular organism containing the recombinant DNA vector of claim 24. 
     
     
       26. A bacterium containing the recombinant DNA vector of claim 24. 
     
     
       27. A bacterium of claim 26 comprising Escherichia coli as deposited with the ATCC and assigned accession number 53403, or a mutant, recombinant or genetically engineered derivative thereof. 
     
     
       28. A recombinant DNA vector comprising pMTp97b. 
     
     
       29. A cell line containing the recombinant DNA vector of claim 28. 
     
     
       30. The cell line of claim 28 comprising TKMp97-12 as deposited with the ATCC and assigned accession number CRL 8985 or a mutant, recombinant or genetically engineered derivative thereof. 
     
     
       31. A recombinant DNA vector comprising pSVp97a. 
     
     
       32. A cell line containing the recombinant DNA vector of claim 31. 
     
     
       33. The cell line of claim 22 comprising B16SVp97a.14 as deposited with the ATCC and assigned accession number CRL 9304 or a mutant, recombinant or genetically engineered derivative thereof. 
     
     
       34. The virus according to claim 4 comprising virus Vp97a-NY as deposited with the ATCC and assigned accession number VR 2159, or a mutant, recombinant or genetically engineered derivative thereof.